News Baton Rouge Boom Bash Celebrates Installation of Litter Catcher in Bayou Fountain

Baton Rouge, LouisianaJul 22, 2021BREC, the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition (LSC), Paddle BR and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF) have entered a partnership to install a boom to clean up litter that washes down the waterway every time it rains. The boom, donated by LSC, is a 75-foot litter catching tool with a kayak rollover, designed to create miles of litter-free waterway for kayak and canoe enthusiasts.

Maintenance of the boom, which includes tactical litter removal, disposal, and data collection, will be conducted by Osprey Initiative. The on-going maintenance funds will be raised by the community and dispersed through an account at BRAF.

Volunteers are invited to join us in cleaning up the bayou downstream of the new boom to free the waterway of existing litter so the bayou can have a fresh start. Clean up efforts will be led by the local non-profit, Paddle BR, which is led by Nathaniel Klumb who for over a decade has been devoted to keeping the waterway clean for paddlers and BREC. Volunteers who are interested in assisting with the clean-up efforts can visit volunteer.brec.org to register.

The bayou clean-up will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 24, starting at BREC’s blueway launch at Highland Community Park. The media is invited to see the results of the cleanup at 11:30 a.m. and will be able to take pictures or video of the boom via kayak or canoe ride or by taking a short drive with representatives from LSC.

This is the first boom donated to the community by the LSC that is an all-volunteer, grassroots organization committed to increasing awareness about the benefits of stormwater management and how permanently funding stormwater programs are the solution to Louisiana’s litter and flooding issues.

For more information, please visit: www.louisianastormwater.com.